the future possibilities (please tell me they are good)
by MissingMommy
Summary: Nico and Will talk about the future. :: Solangelo, for Poke.


For Poke. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Do you ever think about it?" Nico asks.

They are making their way back through camp, towards the cabins. Will looks exhausted. They had just spent a few hours bandaging campers from the chariot races; well, Will did. Nico just followed him around and handed Will whatever he asked for.

"About what?"

Nico waves his hand toward the infirmary. "Being a doctor. A real one. Not just patching up demigods who hurt themselves," Nico replies.

"I have," Will says. "Most of Apollo's kids end up either being musicians or doctors. But I couldn't do it."

"Why not?" The question slips out of Nico's mouth before he could stop it.

Will pulls Nico into Hades cabin since his cabin is full of his siblings and his mortal father, and no he doesn't want to talk about it. He frowns. "I've been a year arounder since my mom passed away. Becoming a doctor requires a lot of schooling and I didn't complete sixth grade. That makes it difficult to get back into school."

Nico sits on his bed, with his back against the wall, and motions for Will to take a seat. "Camp Jupiter could help with that," he offers.

"And leave Camp Half-Blood?" Will asks.

"For a little while, and come back here for summers," he turns to look at his boyfriend. "Camp Jupiter is safe. They have schools, college, and even a whole community of demigods living there. You can become a real doctor."

Will frowns. "I don't know. Leaving Camp Half-Blood seems weird. It's been my home since I was twelve. And with everything that's happening right now, it just doesn't seem right."

"We're demigods; there's always going to be something going on. If you don't do this, what are you planning to do when you're too old for camp?" Nico asks softly.

Will's frown deepens. And he runs his hand through his blond hair. "I didn't think about it," Will finally admits. He hasn't had time to think of anything other than patching up other demigods, looking after his mortal father, and trying to figure out where the missing campers were.

"That's what I've been thinking about," Nico says. "The year arounders. Camp Half-Blood doesn't have a schooling system like New Rome does. Most of the year arounders won't be able to pursue their dreams after camp, especially the children of Athena, because they don't have a formal education."

Nico is gesturing towards the door throughout his speech and Will can't help but find the gestures endearing. It's almost as if Nico doesn't realize he's doing it.

"You seem to really like Camp Jupiter better," Will teases, a grin on his face.

Nico glares at him. "If I did, I would be at Camp Jupiter right now."

"But in all seriousness, I think it would be nice," Will says. "A formal school to help demigods get careers after their time at camp."

"I want more than that," Nico declares. "I want the year arounders to be able to live here even after they get too old for the cabins. If you look at New Rome, they have second or even third generation demigods living there. I want that for Camp Half-Blood."

Will is quite for a while. "You want camp to become a community?" he asks.

Nico nods. "Demigods would live longer and have a fuller lives that way, don't you think?"

"It don't think there's space to make a community here," Will replies. "And how would the school even help in the mortal world? They would've even know it exists."

"We could expand," he says. "The wards are nothing more than magic. I haven't really checked into how the Romans diplomas translate into the mortal world, but I'm assuming it's some kind of work with the Mist. Both of these things the children of Hecate could manipulate. I know that Annabeth is away at college, but I think she would help with the designs, especially after seeing New Rome. Hephaestus' cabin could help with the building."

"You've really thought about this," Will murmurs, surprised.

Nico nods. "Being the Ambassador of Pluto allowed me to see the difference between the Romans and the Greeks. The Romans had the right idea when they combined their camp with New Rome. I think Camp Half-Blood could benefit from it."

"You're going to have to talk with Chiron about this," Will says. When he sees Nico frowning, he adds, "But I think it would be a great idea. It could give the campers something to come together to create that lasts well after they are gone. But I don't think that we could really do anything about it until everything with the Oracle blows over. Everyone is just too on edge about the missing campers and the fact we can't communicate with Camp Jupiter."

There's a rational part of Nico that understands this but another part of him is disappointed to hear Will say this. He glances down. He feels Will grabbing his hand, a motion that would've set Nico on edge months ago, but now, he doesn't mind it.

"I'm not saying that it was a bad idea. I'm saying that the timing is bad," Will explains. "And I'm sure that Chiron would be interested in keeping more demigods safe. But right now, we can't even keep the demigods that are here safe."

Nico exhales and nods. "You're right. We should be more focused on that."

"And maybe when everything is better, I could do some school over in New Rome," Will says softly. "There needs to someone here who can teach the younger demigods how to be a doctor, after all."

Nico looks at Will with a hopeful expression. "You'd really go?" he questions.

"Well, as you put it, I won't be staying at Camp Jupiter forever. Just during the school year and I can come back here for camp. And if Chiron approves your idea of a real school and university, there are going to be teaching spots that are going to need to be filled," Will answers. He squeezes Nico's hand briefly and gives him a dazzling smile. "Besides, that way I won't have to leave my home. Not really, anyways. Would you stay?"

"Yes," he says. "It's the reason that I want to do this. I want something that's permanent. I want a home. I can't ever remember having one."

Will runs his free hand through Nico's dark hair, causing Nico to meet his blue eyes. "It's a good plan. I want you to be safe and happy. Even if it's not here, maybe you and me could find a home together after camp," Will suggests.

Nico's breath hitches slightly. "That sounds suspiciously like you're talking about wanting to be with me for a long time."

"I don't know what the Fates have in store for either of us, but I do know that I plan on keeping you for as long as I can," Will informs him. His eyes look like the water in Elysium, bright and shimmering with every hope and dream.

Nico crosses the distance between them and presses his lips against Will's. The hand that never moved from his hair tightens as Will kisses him back. He pulls back, breathing deeply. Will is smiling brightly at him and it makes the skeletal butterflies in his stomach flutter faster. Will's right; neither of them know what the Fates have decided, but he thinks that forever with Will sounds a lot like Elysium.


End file.
